Another Sad Tragedy
Tomorrow many of us will remember the crew of the Columbia Shuttle that disintegrated over Texas on re-entry Feb. 1, 2003. It was a sad day, indeed, for our nation and for the world. Sarah and I have special feelings for this event, because we were present for the launch of the Columbia on January 16, 2003. The opportunity to attend the launch was made through a friend we met at Chris’ Air Force Basic Training Graduation a few years earlier. We are so grateful for this NASA employee who made arrangements for us to not only attend the launch, but to be a part of the VIP Section, which is just 3 miles from the launch pad. We had toured the Kennedy Space Center in the previous days, and I was saddened to see the names of the Challenger crew on the space mirror memorial. I was thinking, “Oh, I hope the Columbia crew does not also join the list of names here.”
In the above photo, you can see us standing near a speaker that Sarah listened to throughout the launch. She was able to listen to the air-to-ground loop between Mission Control and the cockpit. In addition, a Public Affairs Officer was adding meaningful commentary. I think Sarah was the only one standing near that pole, and even I didn’t realize what was going on until shortly after lift-off when I moved closer to take this photo during the launch. Then I began to listen in, too.
Security had been tight that morning, and we had made sure we had our identity tags to board a VIP bus in Cocoa Beach to be taken to the Kennedy Space Center, where we attended a wonderful pre-launch meeting and were privileged to hear Sean O’Keefe, the current NASA Administrator, speak, as well as others. Among the other VIPs were students from various schools who were sending science experiments to the International Space Center. You can see them in this launch photo (one positive note is that some of the student experiments survived the shuttle re-entry and have been available for research). One thing that was unique about this mission (in Sarah’s words) is that “it was completely a science mission, not a mission to work on additions to the ISS like most shuttle missions.” I think it’s sad that both shuttle disasters involved students that were closely connected to the mission.
Shortly before the launch, excitement built as we saw helicopters flying around the launch area. The reason for the tighter security revolved around the special Israeli Astronaut, Ilan Ramon, and also due to the fairly recent World Trade Center attack. It was exciting and inspiring for me to see the friends and family of Ramon’s country preparing for the launch with Hebrews Psalms, prayer and traditions.
I was also praying for the crew, especially when the voice in the speaker said the famous line that had been the last communication from Commander Dick Scobee before the Challenger exploded: ”Roger, go at throttle up.” Because of our connection to the Challenger launch, which I shared in my previous post, I held my breath, praying that this shuttle would not explode in a similar way. I breathed a sigh of relief as the voice communications continued without problems. It was a powerful experience, and Sarah’s comments concur with the moment as I recall it:
My best memories of it are that from even 3 miles away you could feel the wave of heat hit moments after the rockets ignited, the ground rumbled, and the thing was so bright you really couldn’t look at the flame much until it got a little ways up. Then, I could actually see the solid rocket boosters (the white rockets on the sides) separate, and that happens 2 minutes into launch at about 146,000ft altitude! I figured that was only something you could see with special cameras, but I could see it myself! – Sarah Jarvis
It was absolutely thrilling; there are hardly words to describe it. On the bus ride back to Cocoa Beach, the Israelis were on their phones exclaiming their excitement, pride of their nation and of their national hero. One of the men was on two cell phones at once, apparently speaking to news agencies, and was comparing this event (in Israeli historical significance) to Elijah’s return to Heaven in a fiery chariot.
As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. – 2 Kings 2:11
Little did we know at the time, but Ilan and crew would return to Heaven in a fiery chariot, for the shuttle would sadly disintegrate on re-entry Feb. 1, 2003. I was deeply grieved for the nation of Israel and for all the families of crew members when I heard the news. It was extremely hard to wake up Sarah and tell her of the event that day. We were headed to Kalpana Chawla’s alma mater because of Sarah’s interest in being an astronaut as well. But one particular scripture on the day of the disaster was very timely (although unusual), and I know God gave it to me for my comfort.
I have Compassion on the multitudes…they will faint on the way, for some of them have come from afar…How many loaves do you have? Seven … and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments… – from Mark 8:1-13
I know this sounds gruesome (comparing the seven broken bodies to seven broken breads), but there was a deep truth in it for me — that God knew about the disaster before it occurred, that He is able to restore and renew broken lives, that he had a greater mission for this crew, and that He would take care of all who grieved. Other scriptures and quotes came to me at the same time:
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:13
You, Lord, are close to the brokenhearted and save those who are crushed in Spirit. – Psalm 34:18
A more courageous group of people you could not have hoped to know. – Sean O’Keefe
The same Creator who names the stars knows the names of the seven souls we mourn today. The crew of the shuttle Columbia did not return safely to Earth, yet we can pray that they all are safely home…Mankind is led into the darkness beyond our world by the inspiration of discovery and the longing to understand. Our journey into space will go on. – President George W. Bush
The word compassion literally means “to suffer with” … (it’s) the quiet joy of being there for someone else and living in deep solidarity with our brothers and sisters in this human family. Often this is a solidarity in weakness, in brokenness, in woundedness, but it leads us to the center of joy, which is sharing our humanity with others. – Henri Nouwen, from Bread for the Journey
To see these truths at the very time of the tragedy were a great source of encouragement for Sarah and I. We kept some special keepsakes, also in our bank box. Among other things, we were given Columbia STS-107 lapel pins and a packet of souvenirs. We also purchased memorial pins and badges at a later time.
I had bought this great photo of the crew before the launch. I will never forget them, and especially their children, for whom I have continued to pray as God brings them to mind through the years.
Crew Members of STS-107 (left to right):
Mission Specialist David Brown, Commander Rick Husband, Mission Specialists Laurel Clark, Kalpana Chawla and Michael Anderson; Pilot William McCool and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon.
I trust God will bring meaning to all of our lives through the tragedies we face. Though we endure hardships, God is always present for our comfort and direction. The tragedies are not allowed without hope or meaning, but have great significance in our lives as God turns them around for good.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28 (NIV SB)
Sarah has majored in Aerospace Engineering (from Kansas University, my alma mater) and is currently working towards her Master’s in Bio-Engineering. She certainly is interested in future involvement in the space industry, if possible. We will trust God to lead and see where He takes her.
Twenty-five Years From Tragedy
Today we remember a very sad tragedy that occurred twenty-five years ago today — the Challenger Shuttle explosion. Sadly, it broke apart just 73 seconds into its flight, because of the failure of an o-ring seal on its right solid rocket booster. We have special feelings about this launch and its crew, because our family was in Florida for the launch. We toured NASA and the Kennedy Space Center, and actually got a photo of the Challenger on the launch pad.
This post is in honor of the crew of the Challenger that died on January 28, 1986:
The crew members were:
(Back Row, left to right): Ellison S. Onizuka, Mission Specialist; Christa McAuliffe, Teacher in Space Particpant and Payload Specialist; Greg Jarvis, Payload Specialist; Judy Resnik, Mission Specialist.
(Front Row, left to right): Mike Smith, Pilot; Dick Scobee, Mission Commander; Ron McNair, Mission Specialist.
Although we had tickets to attend the launch, we did not view that horrible sight in Florida. The launch had been delayed several days, and we had not been able to change our flight home, so had returned the day before. We watched the launch live the next morning on TV, in shock, and were thankful we were not there. Our boys were young and I was pregnant with Sarah, who, coincidentally, majored in Aerospace Engineering a couple of years ago. She has always wanted to be involved in the Astronaut Program, and is working on a Master’s Degree now in Bio-Engineering.
Since we did not end up attending the launch, we still have our entry tickets, which I keep in our lock box at the bank for safe keeping.
Here are some of the other photos we took on our memorable journey to Kennedy Space Center in 1986.
This is the crawler-transporter that moved the Challenger from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad LC-39B.
The boys were thrilled with our trip to the Kennedy Space Center and you can imagine the emotional roller coaster we were on that week:
- Visiting the space center and seeing the shuttle on the launchpad
- The discouragement of delayed launches
- Trying to change our flights home, to no avail
- Returning home, disappointed
- Getting up early to watch the launch and seeing the disastrous launch
- These were not easy things to explain to 3 and 5-year-old boys!
- In my pregnant condition, I was thankful not to have had to deal with crowds and lines trying to get out of the launch area
- God took care of us — He protected us from this tragedy, although we grieved much for the families that lost loved ones
On Monday I will post a follow-up story about this topic, because Sarah and I were present for one other launch — the launch of the Columbia Shuttle — the one that disintegrated on re-entry in 2003. That is another entire story, as you can imagine.
Filipino Vehicles
Next week I will write about our journey to another Philippine island, where we visited another special LDP student. On Friday, I will interrupt my account of The Philippines to share another special post here that will be very timely.
Today, though, before we leave the stories about Manila, I’d like to show you more of the wonderful vehicles we saw in the Philippines. They certainly have personality! We loved seeing all the different types of vehicles, and I must say that the pick-up trucks in Wyoming seem quite boring compared to these.
Shoes for Pets
At the Mall of Asia in Manila, we ate at this restaurant with bright lights.
Once again, strangely, we had a dinner companion beside us again, except this time he was wearing shoes!
The food was wonderful, although very different in some ways from what we had been eating in Thailand. You can see here my crab rice, Sarah’s chicken kebabs, and Chris’ blue marlin. The juices were all delicious!
For dessert, we ordered something called “Hailo Hailo” (I think). It was fried banana with ice cream, but had strange things in it (strange for us) — jellied candies and corn! Yes, I’m talking about corn from the cob, mixed in with the ice cream. This was a whole new flavor combination for us.
After dinner, we wandered through the mall a little. We enjoyed seeing the North Face store, sports shops, appliance shops (where we bought a new storage card for a camera) and others. Since our flight would be early in the morning, we bought these pastries for breakfast from the Deli France Pastry shop.
Finally, we went to the movie theater to watch the latest movie, “Robin Hood,” which was fun to see, although I was pretty tired. I was disappointed by the nearby restroom, however, which only had “squatter toilets.” We were seeing lots of these in Asia, and I must say they are not easy to use for a person in a knee brace. But for the joy of meeting sponsored children, I will go anywhere and do (nearly) anything. This is all a part of traveling and experiencing the culture, food, hardships and surprises of travel in foreign lands. Fun! And every bit worth a few small “inconveniences!”
Mall of Asia
Here are some photos of the mall we visited in Manila. Since we live in a small town that doesn’t even have a Wal-Mart, we find malls fascinating and fun. But I don’t think we bought anything; just looked.
They had a big ice hockey rink in the mall.
And they had a store completely devoted to Chris.
But my personal favorite was the Jollibee.
Children Bless
As I said previously, when I had planned our stop in the Philippines, I had hoped to take my kids to some of the Filipino Compassion Projects, but it was not possible to arrange on that day. However, God had a surprise in store for us that was delightful as well.
We ran into these kids and families at a playground near the Mall of Asia. The playground equipment was special because it was simple and was just their size.
I just wanted to take them all in my arms and hug them, but of course I did not do that. It was really fun interacting with them, though, and they loved seeing the photos we showed them. It was wonderful that this was our first meaningful interaction with the Filipinos, and children had led the way.
Wess Stafford always says that every appointment with a child is a divine appointment, and we certainly sensed that in these moments. I think it’s true that every time we come in contact with a child, we have the opportunity to bless and encourage them in some way. But I also think they are there to bless us as well, if we will only notice them and receive what God intended by sending them our way.
Philippine Sunset
We were finally headed to the Mall of Asia, a huge complex with a gigantic globe outside that would be lit with thousands of tiny lights at night.
But before entering the mall, we hurried straight to the ocean to see the sunset. We were not disappointed. There were shops along the boardwalk, banners, restaurants, and lots of people waiting for the sunset as well.
We came across this gigantic seashell and an adorable little boy playing around it.
The sunlight was fading quickly, so we didn’t have long to wait. There are a lot of reminders of the 1944 liberation of the Philippine Islands by the American troops and allies, and some of those memorials can be seen here in these photos.
Our first evening in the Philippines was certainly a beautiful one, and we were delighted to be there.
Jeepneys
For some reason, I had never heard of a jeepney before we arrived in the Philippines. While Haiti has their tap-taps and Asia has rickshaws, the favorite modes of transportation in the Philippines are jeepneys. What a delight to see these colorful, crowded, open-air vehicles. I also loved the fact that (like the tap-taps) the jeepneys often have Christian slogans and artwork on them — “Jesus Loves You,” “In God We Trust,” or “Jesus Saves.” I realize that sometimes this is put on to generate business from the tourists, but still it’s better than business ads.
The jeepneys were made from old military jeeps left over from World War II. Some are quite old and others are newer reproductions. Here is what Wikipedia says about the jeepneys:
When American troops began to leave the Philippines at the end of WWII, hundreds of surplus jeeps were sold or given to local Filipinos. The Filipinos stripped the jeeps down to accommodate several passengers, added metal roofs for shade, and decorated the vehicles with vibrant colors and bright chrome hood ornaments.
Here are a few of the photos we took of jeepneys:
Aren’t they wonderful? We thought so. I love vehicles with personality! The Philippines were full of interesting and fun vehicles, and you will see more of them in future posts here.
Never forgotten
Although I had started to write about our Asian trip again, I can’t help but interrupt to remind you that one year ago a devastating earthquake changed Haiti and its people forever. I will never stop praying for this nation that I love so much.
Haiti is the reason I got involved with Compassion International. You can read why in my account of it here. I started sponsoring Josue in 1988, and continued with him 14 years until 2002, when he completed his education. At that time, I had asked for a younger sibling in need of sponsorship and was given Enold, whom I am still sponsoring, although he’s nearing graduation time as well. You can read about my trip to Haiti here.
But the main reason for this post is to remind you of the devastation that occurred 1 year ago today, and to find a way for all of us to continue to Help Haiti:
The best answer I have for you is to give your contributions through Compassion International, because I know they are working with integrity, effectiveness, sensitivity and Godly insight. In addition, you can’t go wrong when you support children in need through Compassion’s sponsorship program. Click the previous link to choose a child, then please tell me about your child; I would love to hear about them. We can make a huge difference when we all do our part.
Safe in the Philippines
I’m going to continue now the account of our journey to Asia in May. The last I wrote, we were sleeping in the airport in Singapore. Where were we headed? Well, I had been given a correspondence student from Compassion in the Philippines a couple of years earlier, so we also wanted to stop there to meet her. I could tell by her letters that Mary Jane was a delightful and bubbly young lady.
So our next stop was Manila. We found the Philippines to be very different from Thailand in many ways. Most noticeably, we did not see temple shrines any more, and we could now converse in English. We were in a much larger city than we had seen in Thailand, and of course the contrast between Phuket and Manila was huge. But Manila was only a stopping place before heading to the beautiful island where Mary Jane lives.
We had arranged for a night’s stay in a hotel, since our flight would not leave until the morning. On the way to our hotel, the cab driver tried to talk us out of staying there. He told us it was a dangerous place and that he could find a better one for us, but I had researched the sight online and also could not cancel payment for this one (or afford a new place). I decided to pray and trust God rather than becoming fearful. As it turned out, the location WAS in a dangerous neighborhood, I’m sure, but the hotel was very nice, clean, and welcoming. Hotel valets met us at the door and sent us up an elevator to the lobby, since it wasn’t on street level. Our view was nice, and we never once felt our lives were in danger.
The interior of the hotel was also very nice.
We ate our lunch at the restaurant in the lobby — Chicken Kiev, Pork Adobo and Chicken Soup (Caldera). Then we took a short nap that afternoon since (some of us) hadn’t slept very well in the Singapore Airport.
Finally, we ordered a cab and headed to the mall. I was glad that we were in a “dangerous” part of the city, because I wanted to see the types of areas our urban Compassion projects would be in. We certainly got a good look of the city on the way to the mall, and Sarah got a video so you can see what it looked like. I felt sorry for people like this who were scraping so hard to make a living, and I prayed for all our Compassion children and project workers in Manila as we drove through the city. I had hoped to visit some of the projects on this day, as well as the country office, but we had (sadly) found out before leaving home that the staff members were not going to be available at this time.
I Trust You
After I asked God for a new word of the year, the one word that kept coming to me was “Trust.” Previous words had been “Ways” and “Hold.” One of the ways I confirm these decisions each year is to see if that word is in my next Bible reading. Sure enough, it was there in every passage I read the next day:
You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. –I Peter 1:8-9
Through Christ you have come to trust in God. –I Peter 1:21
Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. – I Timothy 6:17
It is by the command of God our Savior that I have been entrusted with this work for him. –Titus 1:3
Another thing that happens each year is that all of my yearly words will show up in one scripture portion. I realize this will not happen as the years add more and more words to my list. But it was interesting that the very morning I was wondering and thinking about this, they WERE there in my reading of the day:
Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. Hebrews 10:23-24
It was so good to see my word in the devotion I was reading at the time, too:
When you’ve grown too tired to trust and pray, when over worked nature has quite given way: then just drop it all, and give up to rest…He knows you do pray. He knows you do trust, and He knows, too, the limits of poor, weak dust…You have trusted your life to Him to keep, then don’t be afraid to go right to sleep. –Ella Conrad Cowherd [from the devotion Streams in the Desert, by L.B. Cowman, 12/23]
Another of the first uses of the word I saw was on Dr. Scott Todd’s excellent blog, True Fast:
“Did you know the word ‘gullible’ is not in the dictionary? … The asking and responses to this question categorize the world into three camps — the trusting, the jaded and the trust-destroyers. Of course there was a darker side to these exploitations of our childhood inclination to trust others…[therefore] We live in a culture of skepticism and walk the streets with people who have been disillusioned by mistrust since they were seven years old. They are demanding evidence. Let’s give it to them…And for those who are skeptical about the possibility of ending extreme poverty? Let’s show them the evidence too. –Dr. Scott Todd, True Fast, 12/21/2010
My devotion the very next day was on a similar theme of childhood trust:
Have you experienced a sorrow caused by unkindness, when others cruelly mistreat your trusting heart? … –L.B. Cowman, Streams in the Desert, 12/22
When Compassion International posted the final chapel with Wess Stafford, I was not surprised to hear him using my word as well. In fact, it was the key word and scripture of his address:
But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. –Jeremiah 17:7-8
Then Dr. Stafford proceeded to tell us how to get “from here to there:” ”Keep walking in the direction God tells you to walk, and the miracles happen along the way.” In other words, keep trusting as you walk (as the verse above says). He didn’t say we are blessed when we “Dig in,” or “pray more” or “try harder.” It’s all about Trust. This was so encouraging to me — to hear how God had blessed Compassion’s ministry as we trusted Him in this very difficult year. While other organizations were reeling and licking their wounds, Compassion was enjoying the fruit of our leadership team’s trust in God.
Trust and rest when all around you puts your faith to stringent test; let no fear or foe confound you, wait for God and trust and rest. Trust and rest with heart abiding, like a birdling in its nest, underneath his feathers hiding, fold your wings and trust and rest. –L.B. Cowman, Streams in the Desert, 12/15
Let me distrust myself and put my trust in Thee. –Augustine of Hippo
We know how much God loves us, and have put our trust in his love. –1 John 4:16
Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. –Jesus Christ, John 14:1
The word “trust” is the heart of faith and is the Old Testment word given to the infant, or early, stages of faith. The word “faith” conveys more an act of the will, while the word “belief” conveys an act of the mind or intellect, but “trust” is the language of the heart…for it sees and feels and it leans on those who have a great, living, and genuine heart of love. Therefore let us “trust also in Him” (Psalm 37:5), through all the delays, in spite of all the difficulties, and in the face of all the rejection we encounter in life. And in spite of our feelings and evidence to the contrary, and even when we cannot understand our ways or our situation, may we still “trust also in Him; [for] He shall bring it to pass.” The way will open, our situation will be changed, and the end result will be peace. –L.B. Cowman, Streams in the Desert, 12/15
Finally, one of the most exciting uses of the word “trust” was in a friend’s blog. I met Mink in Thailand when we went to our LDP student’s graduation. Mink is in a time of transition as she takes on a new role at the Compassion Thailand country offices. I love reading her blog, because it takes me back to her wonderful country, and to the gentle, loving people we met there. I learn more about the Karen people, which she loves so dearly, and I receive great encouragement from Mink’s open, transparent sharing of the challenges and struggles of life. Mink is deep spiritually and relationally. By that, I mean that she loves deeply and spiritually ponders everything in life. I learn so much from her. I was thrilled to see her New Year’s post entitled “Surrender and Trust.” Her words are so true of all of us — we don’t trust God enough.
My goal is to say “I Trust You” every day to God. I don’t mean this in a literal, ritual way. I mean that I want this thought to come out of my heart, out of my walk with Him every day. I want to trust Him more than I trust myself, more than I trust my bank account, or Pastor, family or friends. I want to live and breathe trust in the Lord. I want to smile when trials come, to keep on when the ways get rough, and to never lose hold of my trust and confidence in God. And Mink is right — surrender is a big part of that. Bottom line — He can be trusted!
Life and Breath
One Wednesday night at prayer meeting a couple of weeks ago, our pastor mentioned the coming new year, and it was like a lightbulb went off in my head. New Year!?! Oh no! Which Bible will I read in 2011? What devotions will I study each morning? What will be my new word of the year? I felt so unsettled. This year, I’ve been reading a very special Bible and writing notes in it to give to Sarah for Christmas. She was very pleased and surprised when she unwrapped this gift. She had seen me reading it throughout the year, not knowing it would be hers.
I told her not to worry about missing a day every once in a while, but to just keep reading the daily sections, even if it takes 2-3 years instead of one. A person should never feel “guilty” for missing a Bible reading — just keep going another day; never quit, because God has so much to say to you.
For a devotional, I went to the Bible book store and ordered a book I knew I wanted to read – Beth Moore’s book, Voices of the Faithful. It’s wonderful! The writings are from various missionaries around the world and are very thought-provoking. Thirdly, on my cellphone, I have a devotional reading program and will be reading The One Year Book of Christian History, by Michael and Sharon Rusten. I’ve read this before, in the regular format, and I know I will enjoy it again.
I wanted to start reading through a Bible to give to Chris next Christmas, but we are waiting to get the one he wants me to read. I had purchased The Mosaic Bible for him with this in mind, but he had just finished reading the NLT and would like a different translation. So I’m still going to read the Mosaic Bible this year, one day per week, on Sundays (it’s arranged in the liturgical year so has readings for each week rather than each day). I’m loving it! The writings come from all continents, all the Christian centuries, and all races. I am really enjoying it so far. He will receive this Bible back when I’m finished with it, but we have ordered an ESV Study Bible for him that I hope to http://www.amazon.com/Study-Larger-TruTone-Walnut-Design/dp/1433523930 soon. For that reading, I will follow either a chronological daily reading plan or one from the American Bible Society that skips around through the scriptures.
Finally, I needed a new word for the year. On that Wednesday night several days ago, I began praying for God to give me a new word and the one that came so strongly to me was “Trust.” I purchased a new blank notebook and began writing down scriptures and quotes that use this word (even before the new year, while keeping up the 2010 notebook on the word “ways.” I know, it’s sort of like cheating, but the verses were coming at me quickly!). These “words of the year” have been so meaningful to me that they are with me every day. I am constantly aware of the ways God is using them to teach me more about Himself. I almost choke up when I hear one of my words; they have been so vital to my growth in Christ.
After God gave me my word for 2011, I went to church to play the piano for the service and there on the piano was this reminder of my word. I have no idea who placed it there (I hadn’t shared my word with a soul yet), but you can be sure I will be keeping it close in my sight while I worship in music this year at the keyboard. God is so good!
I can’t begin to tell you how much all these devotions mean to me. No matter where I’m reading, it will always be exactly what I need that day. Topics agree in the various books I’m reading. God speaks clearly. For instance, on days that I’ve been particularly discouraged or concerned for our kids, He will give me the same scripture over and over — year after year — no matter what day or book or translation I’m in at the time. He always comes back to me with that same scripture that He has encouraged me with for 24 years now (sorry, but I hold this verse too close to my heart so share it with you). But He’s real. He’s close. I can’t live without Him. He’s my life and breath. I wouldn’t miss my mornings with the Lord for anything.
This is life for me, and I love it.
Sheep Fold